Fix My Heart

FIX My HeartMy Heart is Racing On… This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.The persons in the image/book cover are models, and are not related to the characters in the story.Copyright © 2023 by Madhuri TamseAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.Photo Credit: Licensed from iStockBook Cover: @lumimaginEditor: Sejal Shah Srinivasan (@sejals_musings)Alpha Reader: Kavita Wadnerkar (@kavitawadnerkar) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWriting this book has been the hardest for me so far, in my journey of 25 published books, since I’ve never tried my hands at Friends-to-Lovers romance trope. This is my first attempt and I hope my readers love it. None of this would have been possible without my team mentioned below. Thank you for supporting and accommodating to my schedule and being available round the clock to convert this plotline into a full-fledged novel. Kavita Wadnerkar (kavitawadnerkar) - My awesome friend, soul sister and Alpha reader. From reading my early drafts to giving me advice on the important scenes of the book, she has elevated the humour content that is the crux of this beautiful novel. Sejal Shah Srinivasan (sejals_musings) - No matter how good the story is, the manuscript is juvenile if not well edited. So, special thanks to my ever-patient friend, soul sister and the coolest professional Editor for weaving her magic into my words and polishing the manuscript for a better reading experience. Lumimagin (Lumimagin) – The covers she makes for me, with the models or the discreet ones, have always touched my heart and the readers’. Always love working with you. Special thanks to all my readers for patiently waiting for this book to release. I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed drafting it. PROLOGUEIshikaDELHIIt’s late Friday evening. The end of another lovely overworked week, which I usually prefer chilling out with friends. Easing the clutch, I shift the gears of my car to slow down as there is a red light ahead where all the vehicles are waiting for the signal to turn green. Ever since I moved to Delhi last week, the days have been crazily chaotic, and all I want is to go for a long drive or nestle cosily in front of the television, binging on my favourite Netflix show, ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’. Alas! It’s all a wishful dream. And all the credit for my current predicament goes to the RC Group of Company. I’ve been working in their Mumbai branch as a lead jewellery designer for five years, and now this company has been taken over by another brand – Ronishq Jewels. I hate transitions like these as they change everything, beginning with your comfort level. So far, I’ve been happy working in Mumbai, but the new company, Ronishq Jewels, has its headquarters in Delhi, and I’m forced to relocate here. Tomorrow, I’m travelling again to Mumbai to brief the CEO of Ronishq Jewels on our vintage jewellery designs, which is, by far, the most profitable collection of RC Group. Vintage jewellery is rare and expensive, and what’s best about them is they never go out of fashion. I design these classic pieces, retaining their antiqueness and crafting them into gold, silver, diamond and other gemstones to add extra grace to their value, and parallelly make them accessible in all our stores throughout the country. I know I’m not into management, nor am I the appropriate person to conduct such briefings. Still, these are my jewellery designs, and now that our Boss and the entire company structure have changed, I’m the one responsible for ensuring that my designs are well received by Ronishq Jewels. Also, since it’s a new work environment for me, I would like to know their input (if any), so I can work on them accordingly and fit my designs to their Brand from now on. “Ishika, where did you buy this gown?” asks my junior colleague, Supriya. I had just picked her up a few minutes ago so we could drive together to this party where my Ex-Boss of the RC Group, Mr. Anant Chopra, is going to introduce us to our new Boss.“I didn’t buy it. I got it designed.”My reply makes her chuckle. I give her a side glance and instantly read the sarcasm on her face.“I forgot,” she shrugs. “You are Richie-rich. I don’t understand why you even need to work when you are from such an affluent family. You are rolling in money, Ishika, and can live without lifting your little finger your entire life.”I’ve been told that a lot lately, and I hate it.“Just because I am rich doesn’t mean I can’t build my life and career from scratch, Supriya.” I tap my manicured fingers over the steering wheel, accelerating the engine, only to apply brakes and bring the car to a shrieking halt as the signal turns red again. F*ck! I hate this. I have been driving for the past one hour, and the GPS location on my phone shows twenty minutes more to reach the venue of the event.A gypsy car with four rich brats who look drunk pulls up beside us. The music in their car is already deafening, and the way these boys are singing the song in their drunken voices makes it even more annoying. But I ignore it and continue to wait for the signal to turn green when one of them whistles at me.“Hello, Babe. Nice car.” He tries to touch the car.“Get your hands off my car,” I shout from inside.That brings the attention of the other boys to me. They look at me as if I am a fresh piece of meat barbequed and served before them.“You have a gorgeous mouth too, Babe. What’s your